Does Carls Jr. permit prospective franchisees to inspect a copy of the OPM before purchasing a franchise?
Carls_Jr Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 7. Provide you electronic access to our confidential and proprietary OPM, which contains information and knowledge that is unique, necessary and material to the Carl's Jr. System. The OPM remains our property. We may revise the contents of the OPM and you agree to comply with each new or changed section. (Franchise Agreement, §9). We will permit you to inspect a copy of the OPM before you purchase a franchise, if you first sign a Confidentiality Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit F.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 42–55)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Carls Jr. Franchise Disclosure Document, prospective franchisees are permitted to inspect a copy of the brand's confidential and proprietary Operations Procedures Manual (OPM) before purchasing a franchise. However, this inspection is conditional. Before inspecting the OPM, the prospective franchisee must first sign a Confidentiality Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit F to the FDD.
The OPM contains information and knowledge that is unique, necessary, and material to the Carls Jr. system. The FDD specifies that the OPM remains the property of Carls Jr., and the franchisor may revise the contents of the OPM. As a franchisee, you must comply with each new or changed section of the OPM.
This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors want to protect their proprietary information and operational methods. The Confidentiality Agreement ensures that prospective franchisees do not disclose or misuse the information they gain access to during the evaluation process. Reviewing the OPM can be a crucial step for a prospective franchisee to understand the day-to-day operations and standards expected within the Carls Jr. system.